© 1998 Allyn D. Nevitt

IJN Yugiri: Tabular Record of Movement


Name Translation: "Evening Mist"

Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Commander Motokura Masayoshi [51] (prev. C.O. HATSUSHIMO). Assigned to Desdiv 20 (YUGIRI, SAGIRI, ASAGIRI, AMAGIRI), Desron 3, First Fleet. Flagship of Comdesdiv 20, Captain Yamada Yuji [46].

20-26 November:

Desdiv 20 steamed with Desron 3 from Kure to Samah (Hainan).

4 December 1941-30 January 1942:

Desdiv 20 escorted troop convoys out of Samah and Camranh Bay in Malaya invasion operations.

19 December:

Assisted in sinking of Dutch submarine O-20.

27 January 1842: Battle off Endau

Assisted SENDAI, ASAGIRI, FUBUKI and SHIRAYUKI in sinking of HMS THANET

15 February:

With Bangka-Palembang invasion force.

21-24 February:

Covered minesweeping operations at Singapore and Johore Straits.

12 March:

Desdiv 20 with Northern Sumatra invasion force.

23 March:

Desdiv 20 with Andaman Islands invasion force.

6 April: Indian Ocean Raiding Operations

Escorted CHOKAI, YURA and RYUJO; assisted in sinking of six merchant ships (plus two sunk and one heavily damaged by RYUJO aircraft).

13-22 April:

Desdiv 20 steamed from Singapore via Camranh Bay to Kure, then docked for maintenance.

4-5 June: Battle of Midway

Desdiv 20 escorted Admiral Takasu's Aleutians Guard Force.

30 June-2 July:

Desdiv 20 escorted troop convoy from Kure to Amami-O-Shima, then antisubmarine patrolling there.

17-31 July:

Desdiv 20 steamed from Amami-O-Shima via Mako, Singapore and Sabang to Mergui (Burma) for Indian Ocean raiding operations, aborted due to Guadalcanal.

8-17 August:

Desdiv 20 steamed from Mergui via Makassar to Davao.

19-23 August:

Desdiv 20 escorted troop convoy from Davao to Truk.

24 August:

Desdiv 20 departed Truk, escorting troop convoy toward Guadalcanal.

26-28 August:

Led troop transport run to Guadalcanal (aborted). Transferred troops from transports while at sea (1-5 N, 156-35 E) and steamed ahead towards Guadalcanal. Medium damage: in attack by U.S. dive bombers; direct hit near bridge; 32 dead, including Comdesdiv 20 (Captain Yamada Yuji [46]), and 40 injured; then to Shortlands on 30 August.

31 August-1 September:

Carried Comdesron 2 (Rear Admiral Tanaka Raizo [41]) from Shortlands to Truk, then emergency repairs.

3 September:
Commander Motokura (to C.O. TOKITSUKAZE) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Maekawa Nisaburou [53] (prev. C.O. ASAGIRI).

1 October:

Desdiv 20 deactivated; designated "Reserve Ship" while under repair.

6 October:

Arrived Kure from Truk, then docked for repairs.

6 October 1942-15 January 1943:
While at Kure, twin 13mm (later replaced by 25mm) machine guns added on bandstand forward of bridge.

25 January:

Assigned to Eighth Fleet; departed Kure same day for Rabaul, then Rabaul-Shortlands patrol/escort duty.

25 February:

Assigned to Desdiv 11 (SHIRAYUKI, HATSUYUKI, AMAGIRI), Desron 3, Eighth Fleet.

28-30 April:

Steamed from Rabaul to Shortlands, then transport run to Rekata and Buka.

3-4 May:

Transport run to Rekata and Buka.

6-7 May:

Transport run to Rekata and Buka.

10 May:

Transport run to Rekata, then to Rabaul on 12 May.

15-16 May:

Departed Rabaul on antisubmarine sweep. Heavy damage: torpedoed on 16 May by USS GRAYBACK (SS-208) northwest of Kavieng near Mussau Island; dead in water, damaged bow, nine dead; towed into Rabaul by AMAGIRI on 18 May, then alongside YAMABIKO MARU for emergency repairs.

24 July-1 August:

Escorted convoy from Truk to Yokosuka.

7 August:

Arrived Kure, then docked for repairs. Additional twin 25mm machine guns added abreast aft funnel; Type 22 radar installed on foremast (but “X” turret apparently never removed).

25 October:

Lieutenant Commander Maekawa [53] (to C.O. ASASHIMO) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Otsuji Shuuichi [60] (prev. C.O. ASANAGI).

7-18 November:

Accompanied AKIKAZE on aircrew/airbase materials transport mission from Tateyama via Saipan and Truk to Rabaul.

21 November:

Troop transport/evacuation run to Buka. With ONAMI, MAKINAMI, AMAGIRI and UZUKI, delivered 875 troops and removed 655.

24-25 November: Battle of Cape St. George

Troop transport/evacuation run to Buka. Sunk: by gunfire of USS CHARLES AUSBURNE (DD-570), USS CLAXTON (DD-571) and USS DYSON (DD-572), 50 miles east of Cape St. George (04-44 S, 154 E). 278 survivors rescued by I-177 and 11 by I-181; Lieutenant Commander Otsuji killed in action.

15 December 1943:

Removed from Navy List.


(1) Editorial Note - USS Grayback's patrol report shows that at noon she sighted two Amagiri-class destroyers, and in a periscope attack at 1233 (King time) fired all six bow tubes at their port sides while they were overlapping. As the torpedoes were launched the crew of the DD were observed to be rushing around on deck and pointing at the periscope. The second and third torpedoes were observed to hit the nearer DD under the bridge and under the after stack, the resulting smoke completely obscuring the target at first. The destroyer was seen stopped and listing 20 degrees to port as the submarine went deep as the second DD began to turn toward her. Underwent depth charge attack, but back up at 1405 observed target DD burning but still afloat and making 6-7 knots away screened by second destroyer and good air-cover. Grayback suspended pursuit at dusk in favor of awaiting other targets. A Japanese photograph reveals that the whole forepart of Yugiri in front of the bridge was smashed and forecastle deck left hanging down into the sea just in front of No.1 turret as a result of this hit, but there was only one. The second `hit' must have been a premature short of the hull, as Grayback's report concluded. - (Tully)


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